


chasing the sun

by simplyverstappen



Series: YouTube AU [3]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - YouTube, Anal Sex, Fluff, Getting Together, Idiots in Love, Lando and Carlos are both oblivious idiots, Lando is a YouTuber, Lando is an Ariana Grande fan and I have no idea how that happened, M/M, Max is very done, SO MUCH FLUFF, angst if you squint, lots of pining, no I don't take criticism thank you very much, so is carlos, the carlando sequel to the youtube au you've all been waiting for, we are fulfilling all the cliches and I'm not even sorry about it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-10
Updated: 2020-03-13
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:41:39
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 15,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23095765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplyverstappen/pseuds/simplyverstappen
Summary: The one time his best friend leaves fucking Europe, everything goes to shit, really. Lando is just going to forbid Max to leave the Netherlands ever again because apparently he can’t be trusted alone around Carlos.or alternatively, Lando is still hopelessly in love with Carlos and it’s a mess
Relationships: Daniel Ricciardo/Max Verstappen, Lando Norris/Carlos Sainz Jr
Series: YouTube AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1659859
Comments: 117
Kudos: 299





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> WE'RE BACK BABY! And so soon 👀
> 
> My break from writing lasted exactly three days (I really missed this universe) and when I went on my plane back home yesterday I basically wrote half of this on my 10-hour flight and the Two-Shot turned into a Three-Shot and then a Four-Shot because I have absolutely no self-control 
> 
> I'm still super tired, and so so insecure about this BUT I hope you like it nevertheless! 
> 
> If you haven't read the first part: you don't have to I think but some small things make more sense with the original work in mind 💛
> 
> Have fun guys, this is for you and thank you all so much again for your amazing support 💛💛

Max is in Mexico and Lando is bored as fuck. Like, it’s not that he _depends_ on Max and he’s happy for him that he gets to experience it and all of that but the flat is quite empty without him and he can’t really cook and he just. Really misses his best friend.

He played some Fortnite to kill some time and he ordered Take-Away yesterday (Thai) so that was alright but it’s just. George and Sacha are in the UK right now and _yes_ , he could ask Carlos but his crush hasn’t really gotten better and Lando really doesn’t trust himself not to do anything stupid around him.

But _god_ does he wanna spend time with Carlos.

He feels always so warm and content around him (and all giddy and like the butterflies are throwing a rave party in his stomach but that’s beside the point) and he loves nothing more than listening to Carlos talk with that fucking Spanish accent of his.

Loves the accidental touches and he groans, leaning back on the sofa while scrolling through Instagram. He could always play something online but-

The next post on Instagram is a picture of Carlos and Lando nearly drops his phone, swearing under his breath.

Fucking hell, Carlos. No one should be allowed to look that good when they’re going to the gym (Lando at least doesn’t) and he swallows dryly before liking it.

This is ridiculous, really, Max would laugh at him and probably tell him to finally kiss Carlos and Lando- things aren’t that easy, okay?

He doesn’t have an Australian YouTuber who’s madly in love with him since the first meeting and wants to do vlogs together (because really, every _idiot_ could see in that Amsterdam vlog how in love those two already were back then).

He instead has a Spanish YouTuber he’s madly in love with for over two years but said Spanish YouTuber is also a good friend and Lando groans in annoyance, running a hand through his hair.

He has actually always thought of himself as someone who’s pretty good in reading other people - until he met Carlos. It’s just - he’s Spanish, aren’t all Spaniards more affectionate? More touchy, more tolerant?

Not that Lando complains it’s just so confusing and when he checks his phone out of habit his heart skips a beat.

He has never unlocked his phone faster and he opens their WhatsApp chat, heart beating faster.

Well fuck. Lando types a quick ‘👍🏼’, forcing himself to not stare too long at Carlos’s profile picture (him at his sister’s wedding in that suit) and locks his phone, grip around it tightening.

It’s fine, they’re hanging out all the time, they’re _friends_ for fuck’s sake. It shouldn’t be such a big deal - except that it is.

Lando is in love with Carlos since he met him at the same Gaming Event he met Max all those years ago and he groans, letting his gaze wander through the room.

There are a few empty cans of Red Bull on the table and he needs to throw the Take-Away boxes from yesterday away but apart from that, he should be good. Great.

Now he just needs to find a way to a) _not_ kiss Carlos tonight (which he really wants to) and ruin their friendship and b) to not get a boner _again_ should Carlos decide he wants to cuddle up - again.

Lando is still embarrassed thinking about the last time and he just prays Carlos hasn’t noticed anything.

Carlos is done showering, the boxing session had been good and he’s sitting on the bench in the locker room, wrapped in a fluffy towel, scrolling through Instagram. He should get ready, really, he’s going to Lando and-

Well, there’s the problem, isn’t it? Carlos is in love with Lando, has been for over two years now and as much as he wants to go he’s also terrified of fucking it up. Lando and he are friends, _good_ friends and- well.

He can’t ruin their friendship and sitting here in his towel, staring at his phone and procrastinating seems better than stumbling over his words and making a complete fool out of himself.

Lando probably doesn’t even like him that way, not really having reacted to Carlos cuddling with him the last time and he just hopes he didn’t fuck it up completely with that.

He stops his mindless scrolling when he sees Lando’s latest post, heart beating faster and Carlos swallows dryly. Fucking hell, Lando.

God he wishes Lando would look at _him_ like that and he comments with a simple ‘❤️’ before closing the app again.

Carlos knows Lando has been on some photoshoot but- shit. His dick twitches slightly and he groans, putting his head back and staring at the neon lights on the ceiling.

He forces himself to think about taxes and other boring stuff to get rid of his boner before taking another deep breath and getting dressed.

It’s only when he’s back in his car that he checks his phone again and when he sees the YouTube notification that Lando uploaded a new video (apparently already 7 days ago, what the fuck, YouTube??) he quickly taps on the notification.

Its the vlog about his trip back home to the UK two weeks ago and Carlos knows he will at least stay in his car for another 30 minutes and be late. Great, really.

Carlos is late and Lando hates it. He’s pacing through his flat for ten minutes already, ranting to Balu about Spaniards who apparently don’t know the concept of time and that the pizza he ordered will get cold now and-

Oh who is he kidding, he’s just scared that Carlos will dump him and Lando chews on his bottom lip, debating if he should text Carlos. Or Max. But both seem like pretty useless ideas given the fact that Carlos is probably driving right now, not being able to answer his phone and Max is on some adventure with Dan without WIFI, being 7 hours behind him.

He considers texting George when the doorbell rings and Lando takes a deep breath before opening the door, smiling when he sees the guilty look on Carlos’s face.

“You’re late”, Lando says but he’s still smiling and Carlos gives him a sheepish grin. His hair is still slightly wet, his sports bag slung around his shoulder and he looks so _good_ that Lando tries his best not to stare too much.

“I know, but”, Carlos raises his left hand which holds a plastic bag, “I bought groceries so we could cook.”

“But I got us pizza.” Lando stares at him dumbfounded, Carlos wants to _cook_?! With him? Carlos’s expression softens and he bites his lip, giving Lando one of those breathtaking smiles that are definitely not good for his heart.

“You could eat it cold tomorrow?”, he suggests and Lando- oh fuck it, as if he could ever say ‘No’ to Carlos. 

“Come in”, he says instead, opening the door a bit more and Carlos’s winks at him - fucking winks at him - before going straight to the kitchen, Lando closing the door and following him a bit slower, still confused.

“And what are we making?”, he asks and Carlos grins broadly, lining up his groceries on the kitchen counter. “Paella with-“ 

“Pa- what?” Lando looks at him confused and Carlos raises one eyebrow. “Oh no, _cabrón_ , don’t tell me this is another _jamón_ incident.” 

“Bruh, I had no idea you just meant peperami!” Lando shakes his head and Carlos stares at him. “It’s not peperami, it’s-“ 

“Yeah, yeah, so what is the Palla thing?”, Lando interrupts him, grinning and Carlos sighs dramatically.

“ _Paella_ is a Spanish dish originally from Valencia with rice and vegetables-“ 

“So a simple rice pan?” 

“Shut up. And you can either add fish or chicken but given the fact that you don’t eat fish-“ 

“I’d rather die.” 

“I got us chicken”, Carlos ends, giving Lando a glare and Lando grins. “So a rice pan with vegetables and chicken? Nice.” 

“It’s not- oh my god.” Carlos shakes his head but he’s grinning as well and Lando feels the warmth spreading through him while the butterflies are having a party again.

“So what can I do?” Lando jumps up to sit on the counter, swinging his legs back and forth and Carlos nods to the different vegetables he assembled. 

“Wash and cut them”, he says, voice getting a bit more authoritative and Lando can feel the shivers running down his spine.

Shit, Carlos using that voice- his mind is definitely going in the wrong direction and he swallows dryly, biting his lip before jumping from the counter. 

“Okay.” His voice is a bit hoarse and he clears his throat, taking a tomato in his hand.

This is going to be a long evening.

Carlos tries his best not to stare at Lando who’s washing the vegetables right now, just wearing some jogging pants and a loose T-Shirt but still managing to look so fucking _good_ and when he bit his lip-

Carlos shakes his head, starting to cut the meat and forcing himself to focus on that. He can’t think about that right now, not when he wants to somehow survive the evening and his grip around the knife tightens.

Lando is humming along to some Ariana Grande song that’s playing in the background (could be ‘no tears left to cry’ but he’s not sure, Lando is the Ariana Grande fan from the two of them) and Carlos is so distracted that he nearly cuts himself, the knife slipping dangerously close to his thumb.

“How’s Max?”, he asks to break the silence that has settled between them and Lando turns around, grinning slightly. “Enjoying Mexico I guess. And some alone time with Dan.”

His grin widens and Carlos stares at him for a moment before he gets what Lando means and he starts laughing. 

“I’m pretty sure he does”, he says amused and Lando shrugs, cutting some bell pepper.

“I mean, it was getting a bit annoying listening to him masturbate while talking with Dan on the phone.” Now Carlos _really_ nearly cut himself, the knife slipping past his finger and he swears in Spanish while Lando grins.

“You-“ Carlos shakes his head and Lando laughs, bumping slightly against him. “I’m joking, mate, he wasn’t _that_ loud.” 

He goes back to cutting his vegetables and Carlos stares at his back, forcing himself to take a deep breath.

Little shit.

Lando doesn’t know why he thought Max masturbating would be a good topic to flirt with Carlos - maybe because this feels nearly too domestic and his mind had desperately wanted to make a joke. Do two best friends cook together? Max and he do that sometimes.

But Max is in a relationship and even before that - they’re just friends.

George and he never cook together, they either order Take-Away or George cooks himself. Same with Sacha.

This with Carlos…it feels almost too intimate and Lando is glad when the paella is finally done and they’re eating.

“This isn’t even that bad”, he says, actually surprised and Carlos flips him off. “Shut up, it’s after my grandma’s recipe. Of course it’s good.” 

Lando just grins, shoveling some more rice and chicken in his mouth. Balu jumps on the chair next to them and Carlos’s eyes light up, petting the cat. 

“ _Mi amor_ ”, he coos and Lando stares at Carlos who is absolutely in love with their cat (Lando wishes Carlos would instead be in love with _him_ but apparently you can’t have everything in life).

Balu ignores Carlos completely, instead turning to Lando and giving him a reproachful look. Lando sighs, putting his fork down and gets up, Balu following him immediately.

“Max spoiled you”, he says to Balu while getting the treats and Carlos snorts, nearly choking on his food laughing. “What?” 

Lando turns to him, frowning while he gives Balu a few treats and Carlos swallows before answers. 

“Funny because Max says the exact same thing about you.” 

“I don’t- okay maybe I give him a few more treats but I mean, he deserves it??” Lando shakes his head, kissing Balu’s soft head and misses how Carlos looks at him with a soft expression in his eyes.

God, he wishes Lando would kiss _him_ instead of the cat but apparently you can’t have everything in life and Carlos goes back to eating his food, Lando coming back to the table after feeding Balu.

They banter and chat a bit more before cleaning up quickly and when Carlos grabs one of the controllers, Lando falls down next to him. 

“What do you wanna play?”, he asks while taking the other controller. “Fortnite?”

Carlos is The Absolute Worst in Fortnite and Lando knows that. Carlos snorts, shaking his head and pulling a blanket over him (and maybe a little over Lando’s feet just so he doesn’t get cold. It’s November after all).

“No, I‘m actually more in the mood for FIFA.” 

Lando is The Absolute Worst in FIFA and Carlos knows that just as well. He also knows he’s going to kick Lando’s ass and Lando flips him off, switching the discs in his PlayStation.

“Be lucky you’re cute”, he mumbles and Carlos freezes, Lando as well. They stare at each other, it’s dead silent and Carlos’s heart is beating so loud he’s sure Lando must hear it. 

“What did you just say?”, he asks with a hoarse voice, Lando blushing deeply.

“I- be lucky you’re .. cool?”, Lando stutters and Carlos stares at him, still speechless. They both know that this is definitely _not_ what Lando had said but before Carlos can say more, Lando starts the game and picks Real Madrid.

“You bastard, that-“ Carlos stares at the screen and Lando gives him an innocent smile, his cheeks still a bit red. “Hm?” 

“Little shit”, Carlos mutters and Lando laughs. “You love me.”

Carlos nearly nods at that but catches himself just in time, instead glaring at him and he takes Bilbao. He’d rather die than take Barcelona and Lando knows that still grinning.

Fuck, fuck, fuck, _why_ did he say that?! Lando still hates himself, trying his best to act normal and make some stupid jokes to ease the tension. First the “you’re lucky you’re cute” and then the “you love me”? He’s really fucking it up tonight and he desperately needs to talk with Max about this.

The one time his best friend leaves fucking Europe everything goes to shit, really. He’s just going to forbid Max to leave the Netherlands ever again because apparently he can’t be trusted alone.

Really, what on earth- Carlos puts an arm around him and Lando is so shocked that he concedes a goal. What the fuck, Carlos?! For the rest of their game, Lando is way too to distracted to actually pay attention, losing 10:0 and Carlos shakes his head.

“Is a disgrace for Real Madrid”, he mumbles and Lando wants to flip him off but Carlos still has his arm there, he’s so _close_ and Lando’s heart is beating so incredibly fast that he’s sure this can’t be healthy.

“Fuck off”, he mutters instead and Carlos grins, pulling him closer. “Stop sulking, I can teach you.” 

“I’m a Gaming YouTuber”, Lando replies dryly, trying to ignore the fact how good Carlos smells. “I know how the game works.”

“Then why are you so bad at it?” Carlos gives him an innocent smile and Lando stares at him, actually speechless for a second before he grabs one of the pillows and throws it at Carlos.

“I hate you”, he says and Carlos laughs. “Nah, you love me, I made you food.” 

That’s not the only reason why Lando loves him but he has to play it cool - they’re just friends and he snorts.

“Max also makes me food.” 

“But I’m better looking than Max.” Carlos winks at him and Lando- is Carlos _flirting_ with him?? 

“You’re Spanish”, Lando says slowly, not sure what exactly he wants to say with that and Carlos laughs. “See? Spaniards are statistically more attractive than Dutch people.”

“What the fuck?!” Lando actually starts laughing at that and Carlos grins. “I’m just saying that between Max and me, you should definitely choose me.”

“I’d always chose you.” That slips out before Lando can think about it and he freezes paling. Oh no. Oh no, no, no, not again. What the actual fuck is wrong with him tonight, he-

“Thanks, _cabrón_.” Carlos laughs again and Lando takes a deep breath. Just a joke. Of course Carlos thinks it was just a joke, they’re just friends after all and he grins weakly, checking his phone. Jesus, Maria, and Joseph, he’s such an idiot.

_‘I’d always chose you.’_ The sentence keeps playing in Carlos's head, he’s still speechless and god, why did he _laugh_ and act like it was a joke?? Why is he such an idiot, he’d also always chose Lando, that goes without saying and-

But what if Lando did mean it as a joke? What if he actually meant it like that, they’re just friends after all and- He glances over at Lando who’s still on his phone and he smirks, taking a quick picture.

Lando looks up when he gets the tweet notification, glaring at him and Carlos grins. 

“It’s true”, he says and Lando throws another pillow at him. “It’s not! I was just-“ 

He stops, blushing and Carlos raises his eyebrows. “You were just what?”

Lando turns his phone and Carlos bursts out laughing when he sees the screen.

“You actually googled??” He stares at Lando stunned and Lando shrugs, biting his lip (he really needs to stop doing that or Carlos can’t guarantee for anything). “I was just curious.” 

“Mhm, sure.” Carlos laughs and Lando glares at him again. “I get how the game works so I don’t get why I’m so bad at it!” 

“Because you have no talent.”

Lando stares at him for another second before he throws himself at him, tickling him. “You asshole, you didn’t just say that!” 

“You know it’s true, that-“ 

Lando slams his elbow into his side, a mischievous spark in his eyes and Carlos grins.

They wrestle with each other for a while, tickling and laughing and Carlos tries catching his breath, Lando being on top of him. He’s so close, still grinning and Carlos switches them so that he tops, pining Lando’s wrists over his head.

Lando is breathing harshly, staring at him with wide eyes and Carlos’s heart skips a beat. He’s so close, he just needs to lean down-

Carlos is so close, staring at him with dark eyes and Lando wants nothing more than for him to finally kiss him. He just needs to lean down, just-

He licks his lips, trying to control his breathing and he can feel Carlos’s grip tightening - Lando loves it.

Carlos stares at Lando’s tongue, completely hypnotized, he can feel the warmth radiating from Lando and his pants are suddenly a bit too tight.

Seeing Lando like this below him- he just has to lean down and he could kiss him. Lando is still staring at him with wide eyes, tension thick between them and Carlos swallows dryly.

Lando’s eyes follow the movement of Carlos’s throat when he swallows, his own mouth becoming dry and god, he just- he could also kiss Carlos. He would just need to lift his head a little and then he could taste his lips.

His heart is hammering against his ribs, he’s getting goosebumps on his arms and he can feel his blood rushing south. Great, really. Could Carlos get a move on, please?

Lando doesn’t know what to do, he’s a fucking Bottom, he rarely takes the first step and Carlos clearly has that Top Energy and he really needs to stop thinking about Carlos and him in bed or otherwise he comes from that alone, Carlos still being a comforting weight on him.

Carlos slightly leans forward, ignoring his racing heart, Lando still staring at him like _that_ and seconds before their lips touch, the doorbell rings.

Carlos flinches, pulling back immediately and blushing. Lando blinks, slowly getting up, he looks flushed, running a hand through his hair. 

“I- eh- I’m gonna check”, he mumbles before nearly fleeing and Carlos falls his back. Fuck.

He runs a hand through his hair, trying to control his racing heart and somehow get rid of that problem in his pants. _Puta madre_ , that was- whatever that was. Shit.

Lando is something between incredibly mad and absolutely relieved that their old neighbor decided to ring, asking for some water and after she’s gone, he leans against the closed door, taking a deep breath.

Carlos and he nearly kissed and he really doesn’t know how to deal with that. What if it’s awkward between them now, what if-

“Hey.” Carlos’s voice makes him flinch and when he looks up, Carlos is leaning in the doorway, giving him a crooked grin. “I should get going, it’s late but eh-“

He runs a hand through his hair, suddenly looking insecure and Lando wants to tell him that it’s okay, that this didn’t mean anything, that they’re just friends when Carlos gives him a soft smile.

“I got invited to that Netflix premiere and they said I could bring someone so eh, would you want to come with me?” 

“You’d want _me_ as your Plus One?” Lando stares at him, actually speechless and Carlos laughs. “Yeah. I’d also always chose you.” 

He winks at him and Lando knows it’s meant as a joke but Carlos’s sounded so soft and he really needs a moment to collect himself.

“Sure”, he brings out, running a hand through his hair. “When and where?” 

“Next week, London, I’m gonna send you the details. Thanks, mate.” Carlos pats his shoulder (not awkward at all) and Lando forces himself to grin. “Sure thing. That’s what friends are there for, right?”

Oh my god, he hates himself so much. Carlos just nods, giving him another grin before grabbing his coat and as soon as he’s gone, Lando groans, sinking down on the floor.

He will never ever let Max leave the country again.


	2. Chapter 2

“Oh my god, I’m gonna die.” Lando buries himself in his bed and Max snorts, absolutely not impressed. “Stop being a drama queen and for god’s sake, stop listening to Ariana Grande.” 

“No, she’s the only one who understands me”, Lando mumbles, head still buried between five pillows. “‘S also your fault.”

“The fuck?!” Max stares at him and George laughs, leaning against the doorframe. “Max’s or mine’s?” 

“Both’s.” Lando slowly sits up, glaring at them and pulling Balu on his lap. Maybe he’ll just end up with ten cats in some cottage in the woods, forever alone.

“If you didn’t leave the country I wouldn’t have had this absolute disaster of an evening.” 

“You cooked together and nearly kissed, stop it.” Max rolls his eyes and Lando glares at him. “Yes! I can’t do this, I’m going to die, I don’t even know if he’s into me!”

“Mate”, Max says slowly, looking at him like he’s stupid and maybe he really is, “you _cooked_ together. You nearly _kissed_! What else is he supposed to do, _propose_?”

Well, that would be kinda nice. 

“What if I misinterpret it? Oh god, this is going to be a nightmare.” Lando falls back into the pillows, absolutely not convinced and he stares at the ceiling, desperate.

“Mate, you’ve been on so many events, it will be fine.” George waves dismissively and Lando crosses his arms in front of his chest. “Yeah but it has never been just Carlos and me!”

Carlos, who he hasn’t seen since they nearly kissed. Carlos, who will be his date (is it a date??? Lando really doesn’t know) for a fucking Netflix movie premiere. He doesn’t even know the movie but he also couldn’t care less and he slowly gets up, staring at the blazer that’s hanging on his closet.

“Just kiss him.” George shrugs and Lando is really close to throwing him out of the window because _’Oh really George because that worked so well the last time, didn’t it?!’_. 

But George is taller than him and probably also stronger. Same goes for Max who just pushes him with surprising strength into the bathroom and Lando crosses his arms in front of his chest. “You-“

“Have you packed yet?”, Max interrupts him and when Lando hesitantly shakes his head, Max sighs deeply. 

“Jeepers”, he mumbles and Lando snorts. “You sound like Dan”, he mutters and Max stares at him for a second before blushing. “Did I-“ 

“Yep”, Lando interrupts him dryly and Max sighs before exchanging one look with George. 

“Get changed and I’ll drive you to the airport in an hour”, he says and Lando rolls his eyes but obeys.

George just laughs before helping Max pack Lando’s bag and even though Lando won’t admit it: he’s glad to have both them here, have both of them to help him pack his stuff and make sure he doesn’t forget anything.

Max drops him at the airport one hour later, it’s late afternoon and Carlos and he will get picked up in London, immediately going to the premiere before staying one night and going back home tomorrow.

“Take care and don’t do anything stupid”, is all Max says before he leaves and Lando flips him off, cursing when he sees Max’s grin and he enters the Terminal.

Carlos would never admit it in front of Lando but he’s nervous as fuck. After their Nearly-Kiss, they haven’t really talked and Carlos prays that he didn’t fuck things up because the last thing he wants is to make things awkward between them. Or lose Lando completely which would be even worse and is not something he wants to think about for too long.

His heart is racing when he enters the Terminal and he smiles when he sees that Lando is already there. He pulls him into a quick hug, maybe lingering a bit longer than necessary and taking a deep breath, inhaling Lando’s familiar scent.

Lando doesn’t seem to notice, only giving him a quick smile before picking up his bag. “Let’s go?” 

“Yeah. Netflix actually sent us a private jet.” Carlos laughs and they go through security before heading towards the small plane that’s waiting on the runway already.

Lando falls on the seat next to Carlos, staring out of the window while they roll on the runway and he takes a deep breath. No big deal, it will be fine.

“You’re okay?” Carlos’s voice makes him look up and Lando swallows dryly when he sees the soft expression in Carlos’s eyes. 

“Yeah”, he says, voice hoarse and he forces himself to smile. “Just a bit nervous.”

“It will be fine, it’s just some stupid premiere.” Carlos gives him a warm smile and Lando nods, not telling Carlos that’s it not the premiere he’s nervous about. He knows there will be photographers and journalists and fans but he can deal with all of that.

He’s not so sure if he can deal with Carlos though, especially with Carlos in a suit and being so close the whole evening and- this reminds him that he still has to change and as soon as they reach 32,000 feet he gets up, quickly disappearing in the back to get changed.

Carlos tries his best not to stare too much when Lando comes back, wearing some black turtleneck shirt with a dark blue blazer over it and fuck, he looks good. 

“Can I go like that?” Lando gives him an insecure look and Carlos nods, actually speechless.

“You”, he clears his throat, looking for words and trying to avoid _stunning, beautiful, handsome, perfect_ , “you look good.”

A smile appears on Lando’s face and Carlos can feel the warmth spreading through his body. 

“Thank you”, Lando says softly and Carlos smiles as well. “ _De nada_.”

Carlos gets changed shortly before they land in London, completely oblivious to how Lando stares at him and after they land they get picked up by a black SUV that brings them to the premiere.

Carlos leans back, scrolling through his Instagram, smiling when he sees Lando’s post from before, commenting with his usual ‘❤️’ (he doesn’t even know when he started with it) and completely missing how Lando blushes next to him.

“You’re ready?”, Carlos asks when they reach the location and Lando nods, looking incredibly calm. “Yeah. Let’s do this.” 

He grins, sliding his phone back in his pocket and follows Carlos out of the car.

They stay close to the other one, their hands brushing against each other from time to time but both too shy to actually grab it and then they’re on the red carpet, both smiling. They stop for pictures, Carlos protectively putting an arm around Lando’s shoulder, instinctively pulling him closer and smiling at the photographers.

He still finds it a bit unreal that this is his life now - that the little boy from Madrid who loved video games a bit too much for his _mamá’s_ taste, is actually invited to movie premieres and can make a living with his hobby.

He knows Lando and Max feel the same way, them having talked about it often enough during their Gaming Nights and they stroll past the journalists, joking and Carlos tries to calm his nerves. It’s going to be fine.

And then Lando smiles at him like he’s the sun and he melts, wanting nothing more than to kiss him right here and there and he still hates himself that he fucked it up. Should he have kissed Lando? Should he-

“Yeah, Carlos and I are really good friends”, he hears Lando say at that moment, he’s talking with one of the journalists and Carlos swallows dryly, nodding quickly. 

“Yeah, we’re just here as friends”, he adds with a hoarse voice, hating himself immediately afterward.

Great way to go really. But Lando started it, didn’t he? Oh god. Carlos doesn’t know what to think anymore and when they sit down in the theatre, he gets himself some wine, trying to forget.

He doesn’t notice that Lando also orders himself some alcohol and that’s probably the point where the evening went wrong.

Lando quickly pushes his phone back in his pocket, smiling happily at Carlos who comes back from the bathroom. 

“Heeeeey, how was it?”, he asks and Carlos looks confused.

“On the toilet?”, he responds with a frown and Lando blushes. “Never mind, I know how it’s on a toilet.” 

Oh god, he should just shut up, really. He knew that drinking that one bottle of wine wasn’t a good idea, he doesn’t even like alcohol that much but after all that “Yes Carlos and I are just really good friends” talk-

“That’s good to know.” Carlos grins, falling down next to him. 

“Do you know that you have really pretty hands?”, he asks suddenly and Lando stares at him, his brain needing a moment to catch up on his words.

“…what?”, he then says not very intelligently and Carlos smiles at him widely - he also had a bottle of wine and Lando doesn’t know if he’s sober or drunk or just really good at hiding it. It’s Carlos, everything is possible.

“You have hands”, he says and Lando doesn’t know what to do with that information. 

“Thank you”, he says and Carlos grins. “I like them.” He gently pokes Lando’s right hand with his finger and Lando actually giggles, leaning against Carlos.

“Thanks, you have pretty hair”, he says, giving Carlos’s hair an impressed look. “It’s so … fluffy.” Carlos beams at that before stifling a yawn and Lando prays he’s not boring him, oh god what if-

“You wanna go back to the hotel?”, he asks and Lando nods, quickly getting up and regretting it. Everything’s spinning and he takes a deep breath, stabilizing himself on the table. “…yes.”

Maybe drinking a whole bottle of wine all by himself wasn’t the best idea he had this evening.

They take a cab to their hotel, Carlos having the address and Lando starts to feel tired as well, nearly dropping his head on Carlos’s shoulder in the car. Nearly. Until the small part of his brain that is still sober reminds him that they’re not a thing and he instead leans against the car door.

He actually just wants to sleep - until he enters their room after Carlos and stares at the huge Kingsize bed in horror. Oh no.

He’s still frozen to the spot while Carlos doesn’t seem too bothered, only mumbling something about “bathroom” before disappearing in the room next door.

Lando is still staring in horror at the bed before he does the only thing his drunk mind can think of right now: he texts Max.

Well, that had been fucking useless, hadn’t it and he definitely _won’t_ take Max’s advice, as tempting as it sounds. He slowly walks further into the room, losing his clothes before pulling some old shirt he packed for sleeping over his head and crawls under the covers.

When the bathroom door opens he pretends to be asleep, hearing Carlos walk into the room. 

“Lando?”, he asks quietly but Lando stays quiet, keeping his eyes squeezed shut.

He won’t do anything stupid, he won’t do anything stupid, he won’t- He can feel the bed dip next to him before he smells Carlos’s expensive perfume and his heart beats faster.

“Good night, _cabrón_ ”, Carlos mumbles, his hand ghosting over Lando’s cheek and he’s close to losing it. Carlos; what on earth-

Carlos is not okay. The room has only one fucking bed, he’s fucking drunk and he has no idea how he’s supposed to survive the night with Lando next to him.

Lando, who looked so _good_ the whole evening, who smiled and seemed genuinely happy to be here with him, who told him he likes his hair and when Carlos gets into bed next to him he’s everything but calm.

At least Lando seems to be asleep already and Carlos takes a deep breath, keeping a safe distance to Lando. He doesn’t need to wake up with a boner, that would be absolutely embarrassing and he promises himself to have a serious conversation with the hotel tomorrow.

He can’t just sleep in the same bed as Lando, not when he wants to kiss him so badly, wants to touch him but can’t and how can they do this?? It’s not nice and he always thought British people were so polite.

Carlos rolls over, Lando’s calm breathing making him sleepy and his last thought is how everything is spinning and that he needs to hold on to something before he falls asleep.

Lando wakes up with a boner and an arm around his waist and both aren’t particularly bad things - just really fucking inconvenient. The arm, he figures, has to belong to Carlos except some hotel employee broke into his room and climbed into his bed and that thought is so creepy that Lando doesn’t want to think about it any longer.

His head hurts like hell, he has a splitting headache and the sunlight that’s coming through the blinds is way too bright. His mouth is dry but he doesn’t feel like throwing up so that’s something and when he turns his head he finds out that the arm does, in fact, really belong to Carlos.

Carlos, who sleeps fucking shirtless.

Fuck. 

His dick is painfully hard by now and Lando closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. Fuck. He doesn’t want to leave Carlos’s embrace, doesn’t want to leave the warm bed and when he feels something hard press against his ass he draws in a sharp breath, blushing.

Looks like he isn’t the only one with a small (or not so small in Carlos’s case and _oh god_ , it’s too early for this) problem. Lando bites his lip, hard, to distract himself from his dick, allowing himself to enjoy the moment a bit longer before carefully winding himself out of Carlos’s arms.

Carlos mumbles something but keeps sleeping, instead hugging a pillow and Lando disappears as quickly as he can into the bathroom. He debates between jerking himself off and a cold shower, settling for the latter given the fact that he doubts he can stay quiet with Carlos _sleeping next door_ and he takes a deep breath, leaning his head against the cold tiles of the shower.

What the fuck. He remembers everything from last night, his mind hadn’t been so kind to let him forget (or maybe that’s for the better) and he blushes deeply when he thinks about the conversation he had with Carlos. God, he’s such a mess.

After drowning himself under the shower for a good half an hour (and nearly freezing to death but efficiently taking care of his ‘problem’) he comes back into the room, towel around his waist, only to stop dead in his tracks at the doorstep.

Carlos is awake, sitting in bed, blanket over his lap, hair a complete mess and smiling sleepily at him. 

“Good morning”, he mumbles, his voice hoarse from sleep and Lando needs a moment to find his words again.

“Morning”, he manages to say, slowly stepping further into the room as if Carlos would jump on him the second he gets too close. As if he were a lion and Lando his prey. Okay, where the fuck did _that_ come from, Norris?! Lando internally shakes his head, blaming Max and his hashtag and he takes a deep breath, running a hand through his hair.

“You slept well?”, he asks and Carlos nods, giving him a small smile. “Yeah. You?” 

“Mhm.” Lando fishes for some pants and a T-Shirt, trying not to stare too much at Carlos.

Why does every person in this world look like absolute shit in the morning except Carlos fucking Sainz? It’s so unfair, really.

Carlos bites his lip, letting his gaze travel over Lando’s body and he takes a deep breath. His dick is still painfully hard, reminding him of next to whom he slept last night and he just hopes he somehow can get past Lando without him noticing.

Without scaring him off and looking like a creep.

And he hopes that he didn’t do anything stupid during the night like cuddling up for example.

But Lando seems like always, giving him a quick smile before getting dressed and flopping down on the bed next to him, phone in his hand.

“You wanna go for breakfast when you’re done?”, he asks and Carlos nods, jumping up when Lando doesn’t even look up from his phone. 

“I’d love that”, he answers, Lando smiling but still not looking up and Carlos makes sure he gets into the bathroom, letting out a deep breath when he’s finally alone.

 _Puta madre_ , this is getting out of hand.

He’s done pretty quickly, jerking himself off as quietly as possible under the running shower before getting dressed and when he’s back in the room, Lando is giving him another one of those breathtaking smiles. “You’re ready?”

Carlos just nods, running a hand through his hair that is still slightly wet, not noticing how Lando stares at him. “Let’s go.”

Breakfast is as unspectacular as it could get, it’s a typical continental breakfast and Carlos knows that as long as Lando gets some milk and Nutella toast he’s happy anyway.

“What are you doing on New Year’s Eve?”, he asks after they’re done with eating and Lando shrugs. “Don’t know, maybe going home, visiting some friends. Why?”

“You wanna come to Madrid with me?”, Carlos asks casually, not showing how nervous he actually is and how badly he wants Lando to say “Yes”. Because if he says “No” that’s also okay, really, but-

“I’d love to.” Lando smiles softly, looking a bit surprised and Carlos smiles as well, heart beating faster. “Good.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am speechless by all your feedback and I'm glad we all agree that Lando is a Bottom and Carlos clearly has that Top Energy sksksks
> 
> 💛💛💛💛


	3. Chapter 3

To say Lando is scared shitless would be an absolute understatement. He’s flying to Madrid today (to _Carlos_ ), alone and god, he wishes Max would be here. But his best friend is in Australia and Lando somehow doubts he could help him. 

He pulls his phone from his pocket anyway while he falls on his seat on the window, opening his chat with Max. He has no idea what time it is in Perth but it’s worth a try and he just hopes Max isn’t sleeping already - whatever the time difference is again. 

Yep, useless. Lando groans, putting his phone back in his pocket and taking a deep breath. Why is he even texting Max, his advice is always “Just kiss him” anyway and maybe he _should_ kiss Carlos but Lando is also a coward and scared of rejection, thank you very much.

And Carlos- he can’t lose him. Carlos is the best thing that happened to him next to Max and he might know many people and have a lot of friends but Lando would only count Carlos, Max, George and maybe Sacha as his ‘real’ friends.

At least that are the ones he cares for and maybe he can count Dan to that too soon but for now, he’s not ready to lose Carlos just because his heart has decided to be an idiot.

The plane fills relatively quickly, Lando flying Economy (he doesn’t bother with Business Class on short-distance flights, doesn’t see a point in it) and he plays with his phone in his hands.

He has a bit more luggage than one would need for spending a few days in Madrid but Carlos and he are flying to Tokyo together after this, meeting with Max, Dan, Hulk, and Lewis and he just prays he didn’t forget anything.

Maybe he could kiss Carlos on New Year’s Eve - that would be romantic, wouldn’t it? But if it goes wrong then they have to fly to Tokyo together and _god_ that would be so awkward.

And again, Lando is not ready to risk his friendship with Carlos for some stupid “maybe’s” and “what if’s”. Carlos means the world to him and yes, a relationship with him would be a dream but that’s not something Lando dares to think about too much.

They’re friends, good friends, and that’s it.

It’s only when he lands in Madrid three hours later he realizes that he actually has to go to passport control and Lando groans.

He always forgets it and it’s so fucking annoying. The queue is also way too long (what do all these people even _want_ in Madrid anyway, don’t they have other places to be) and Lando’s fingers drum restlessly against the handrail next to him.

Carlos is probably waiting for him and he rolls his eyes inwardly when he sees the short “EU passports” queue to his left. Fucking Brexit, fucking Boris Johnson, and fucking “Leave” voters, really.

All of that is stopping him from seeing Carlos sooner and he takes a deep breath when it’s finally his turn.

Fucking finally.

Carlos is leaning against a column in front of Arrivals, being on his phone and waiting for Lando while scrolling through Instagram.

He glances up from time to time just to make sure Lando didn’t suddenly show up in front of him and when he looks back at his phone, his heart skips a beat.

He knows what this post is about, Lando having participated in some Fortnite Tournament in Amsterdam on the days after Christmas and he actually won.

Carlos smiles, staring maybe a bit too long at Lando in the picture (not his fault he looks so good and the lightning is just perfect) before liking it and when he looks up again, Lando is coming towards him, pulling a huge suitcase along.

“You’re immigrating to Spain?”, Carlos asks him with a big grin and Lando rolls his eyes, grinning as well. “Ha ha, you wish. No, you idiot, we’re flying to Tokyo, remember?”

“I do.” Carlos laughs before pulling him into a quick hug and taking his suitcase. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” 

They leave the airport, Carlos storing Lando’s suitcase in the back of his car and then they’re on the road into the city and Lando seems to relax a bit.

“Sorry I was a bit late”, he starts, removing his cap to run a hand through his hair. “But I always forget I have passport control now.” 

“Oh yeah, you poor bastard.” Carlos laughs and Lando flips him off. “Shut up and let me connect my phone with your car so we can have some decent music.”

“Be my guest.” Carlos grins, waving at the radio and Lando smirks. Not soon after some Ariana Grande song is playing and Carlos is not surprised at all. 

“I don’t know if your obsession with her is healthy”, he says while he stops at a traffic light and Lando snorts. “It’s not an obsession! She just makes really good music.”

Maybe but again, Carlos is not the Ariana Grande fan from the two of them and as long as Lando is happy he won’t complain. Lando hums along to the song, the car tells Carlos it’s called ‘7 rings’ and he might have heard it on the radio a few times but he’s not sure. This woman releases a lot of music.

“You’re okay with staying in my family’s house?”, he asks when they come closer to his home and Lando nods. “Yeah sure, no big deal.”

That is a fucking lie, it’s a huge deal and Lando tries his best to calm his heart and anxiety. He’s definitely _not_ ready to meet Carlos’s family, he doesn’t even speak Spanish and oh god, this will be a disaster.

But it’s too late to bail out now, they’re already in the driveway to Carlos’s house and he hesitantly gets out of the car when they stop. Carlos is taking his suitcase again (not necessary but appreciated) and Lando takes a deep breath.

He’s not Carlos’s boyfriend, he’s here as his friend so the pressure really shouldn’t be that big. Max has had way more pressure when he flew to Australia and he managed just fine.

But he’s also Max who’s just. Max. Everyone loves Max, it’s impossible to not like him and Lando follows Carlos into the house, curiously taking a look around.

It’s big with dark wooden furniture and a white poodle excitedly runs towards them, barking. Carlos picks him up, shouting something in Spanish into the house. Lando stares at him, it’s not the first time he heard him talk Spanish but he loves it every time and oh god that are going to be a few long days, he realizes.

They’re in Spain, Carlos’s _home_ country, surrounded by his Spanish family and friends, he’s going to talk a lot of Spanish - obviously. Before Lando can think more about it though he’s meeting Carlos’s parents and he gives them his best smile.

“Hola, soy Lando.” That’s all he knows in Spanish and Carlos’s mother gives him a warm smile, shaking his hand. 

“Hello Lando, I’m Reyes. Carlos told us a lot about you”, she answers in English and Lando feels like a complete idiot, completely missing the proud look in Carlos’s eyes.

“Hey”, Lando says slowly, her English is good, she has the same Spanish accent as Carlos and his father smirks, extending his hand. 

“I’m Carlos Senior”, he introduces himself and Lando needs a moment to realize that, _true, his Carlos is Carlos Sainz Junior and his dad is also called Carlos and oh god isn’t that a nightmare for Carlos’s mum when she calls for one of them?!_

“Lando”, he says, shaking Carlos Senior’s hand and Carlos ( _his_ Carlos - god this is going to be confusing) gently nudges him with his elbow. “Come on, I’m gonna show you your room.”

Lando follows him upstairs, Carlos still carrying his suitcase which, really, Lando can do himself too but he won’t complain. It’s heavy after all and Carlos is the one who regularly visits the gym, not Lando.

Carlos leads him into a cozy room with two windows, there’s a huge bed in the corner and a desk near one of the windows. It’s nice and Carlos drops the suitcase next to the bed, turning around with a small smile. “You’re good, _cabrón_?”

“Yeah.” Lando runs a hand through his hair, smiling slightly. “Kinda excited to meet the rest of your family even though my Spanish was really bad.” 

He blushes and Carlos stares at him.

“It was cute”, he says, a small smile playing around his lips and Lando’s blush deepens. 

“I-“ He stops, not sure what to say. “Maybe soy milk is just milk introducing itself in Spanish?” 

Not that. He has no idea where that even came from and Carlos stares at him for another moment before he bursts out laughing.

“You’re unbelievable, Lando. Come on, I’m gonna show you Madrid.”

Carlos never thought he’d be that happy to have Lando in Madrid, showing him the city and just having him around 24/7 but he is and when his _mamá_ asks him one evening if he’s _that_ boy Carlos just nods, eyes shining (she has always been good with those things).

He takes him to the Bernabeu (“It’s a holy place, Lando, a _temple_!”), they take a walk in the Retiro (“It’s a park, Carlos.” “But a pretty one”), skip the museums (“There are better things to do”) and watch Dan and Max’s Christmas vlogs (“I’ll never let Max forget that outfit”) before deciding to do their own.

Carlos likes to think theirs is even better than the one Max did in Australia but that’s probably because his vlog has Lando in it and he’s a little bit biased in that direction.

They have worked together in the past already and they’re a good team - especially in front of the camera. Their energy just _works_.

He just loves having Lando around, falling even more in love with him than before (he never thought that would be possible) and he has no idea what to do about it.

Lando- he doesn’t know if Lando is in love with him too. What if he’s just nice? Or he doesn’t want to reject him and keeps playing along? That’s a bit too depressing to think about, especially on New Year’s Eve so Carlos pushes the thought away and instead drags Lando in the kitchen.

“It’s a Spanish tradition to eat 12 grapes at midnight”, he explains, waving at the huge amount of grapes his mum bought this morning and is now laying on the kitchen counter. “One grape at every stroke at midnight and each one stands for a wish. If you choke you have bad luck for the next seven years.”

“No pressure, I see”, Lando mumbles, staring at the grapes and Carlos grins. “Don’t worry, they timed the bell chimes a bit more apart after a lot of tourists nearly choked to death.” 

He starts separating the grapes into small piles, always counting 12 and turns around when he notices that Lando is still standing in the doorway, staring at him. “You’re joking, right??”

“Nah.” Carlos grins, pulling him closer. “It’s not that hard, come on.” He presses a few grapes and a small bowl into his hand and Lando shakes his head. 

“You Spaniards are crazy”, he mumbles and Carlos swats his arm. “Hey!”

Lando just laughs before he starts separating grapes as well and Carlos grins, them working in comfortable silence. God, he can’t wait for tonight.

“It’s also tradition to wear red underwear”, he suddenly says and Lando stares at him. “What??” 

“It’s supposed to bring you love in the new year.” Why did he even start that topic, why did he bring that up, Lando really doesn’t have to know that he’s wearing red boxers tonight and-

“I don’t need red underwear to have good sex”, Lando says at that moment and Carlos chokes on some air, staring at him incredulously. Lando is grinning, running a hand through his hair and Carlos takes a deep breath, mouth suddenly incredibly dry. That cheeky little bastard. 

Lando just laughs before shifting his attention back to the grapes and Carlos swallows, trying to get the images of Lando in his bed out of his mind. 

Fuck. 

Lando is by no means a suspicious person but _seven years of bad luck_?! What the actual fuck. He just hopes he doesn’t fuck it up - can he practice before? Make sure he doesn’t _choke to death_ because he might be into choking but not from grapes and he’s also not into death and he’d prefer it if Carlos is the one who- okay, stop, his mind wandering in the completely wrong direction again and Lando forces himself to focus back on separating the grapes instead of thinking about his kinks.

He meets the rest of Carlos’s family later that day, all of them talking in quick Spanish and Lando tries his best not to be completely lost - which works pretty well, given the fact that Carlos never leaves his side and does his best to translate for him.

“So what about your Spanish, Lando?”, David, one of Carlos’s cousins, asks and Lando shrugs. 

“Mi cumpleaños es el tres de noviembre”, he says slowly, remembering that and Carlos smiles. “Tres?” 

“Trece.” 

“Tre _c_ e”, Carlos repeats, putting emphasis on the c and Lando frowns. “Yeah, I’ve pretty much just said that.” 

“No.” Carlos grins and explains it again, Lando listening way too fascinated. 

“Say something else?” There’s that authoritative tone in Carlos’s voice again, the request that sounds more like an order but with such softness as well that Lando gets goosebumps. 

“Soy lago”, he tries and while David bursts out laughing, Carlos grins. “Lago?” 

“Yeah, you don’t know that?” Lando doesn’t know why he’s getting cocky and Carlos raises his eyebrows. “Lago is lake.” 

“Yeah.” 

“Soy lago. I’m a lake?” There’s a smirk on Carlos’s face, David is still laughing and Lando grins. “Yeah? I am. Nothing wrong with that.” 

He runs a hand through his hair and Carlos shakes his head, a fond look in his eyes. They stare at each other for a moment, Carlos’s expression still so soft.

“I’m gonna teach you some more Spanish, don’t worry”, he says and Lando can’t help but smile even though he’s not quite sure if it’s a threat or a promise. “Okay.”

David clears his throat, making both of them flinch and Lando blushes, quickly averting his eyes.

Carlos loves his family, he really does but at the moment he’s close to murdering his own cousin. They had a moment, he can’t have been that blind to not see that, what-

“Get your ass ready”, David says to him in Spanish, winking at him. “And for fuck’s sake, sort out whatever that is between you two.” 

He disappears, leaving Carlos with a very confused looking Lando behind and he swears under his breath.

“What did he say?”, Lando asks hesitantly and Carlos rolls his eyes. “Just that we should get ready for tonight and he hopes you’ll enjoy it.” 

It’s technically not wrong, no?

God, he just wants to kiss Lando, wants to slam him against the wall and- wrong thought, really. He can’t do that, first of all, this is still his parent’s house and he’s pretty sure his mum wouldn’t appreciate it if she finds him fucking Lando against the wall and secondly, and even more importantly, he’s not even sure if Lando would want that.

 _Puta madre_ why does he have the feeling it has just gotten worse in the last few weeks?

He has considered writing Max for a while now but he didn’t dare - he knows how close Lando and Max are. But if anyone knows what’s up then it’s Max and as soon as he’s alone he pulls his phone from his pocket.

Max had typed a long time for that last answer and Carlos stares at his screen, running a hand through his hair. 'Just kiss him.' That’s … easier said than it’s done but it’s New Year’s Eve, eh? And Max wouldn’t suggest something like that if there wasn’t at least _something_ from Lando’s side, right?

Carlos tries not to feel too hopeful and he takes another deep breath - he has made up his mind. He gets changed, waiting downstairs for Lando who’s still getting ready and he closes his eyes for a moment.

He’s gonna do this and if it goes wrong he can still blame Max for ruining their trip to Tokyo.

Lando doesn’t know if what he’s wearing is appropriate but Carlos told him to wear something fancy and George helped him pick his outfit and if it’s one person Lando trusts with fashion choices it’s George.

He takes another look in the mirror, wearing black dress pants and some dark, fancy sweater which is surprisingly comfortable, a white dress shirt below and he takes a deep breath. Let’s do this.

Carlos’s family and friends are already downstairs, the house becoming more and more crowded and Lando swallows dryly, walking down the stairs, praying Carlos will wait for him so he’s not completely lost.

Carlos is indeed waiting for him, wearing a suit and smiling. 

“Goood evening, Sir”, he says, voice low and Lando blushes, averting his eyes while fidgeting with his sleeves. 

“Hello”, he replies, suddenly incredibly shy - Carlos’s voice gave him goosebumps and when he’s standing in front of him, Carlos’s smile widens, eyes traveling over his body.

“You look good”, he says, voice hoarse and Lando blushes even more, biting his lip. “So do you.” 

What the fuck is happening. What is Carlos doing, what-

Carlos puts his hand on the small of his back, gently pushing him in the direction of the kitchen and Lando’s breath hitches in his throat, heart racing. His heart is beating so fast he’s sure Carlos must feel it and he swallows, not really caring about all the other people.

Carlos is apparently taking the lead now and Lando definitely won’t complain, not when Carlos gives him another one of his smiles and pressing a glass of water in his hand, introducing him to more members of his family.

Lando tries his best to pay attention, really, but Carlos’s hand is still on the small of his back, gently guiding him through the room and Lando finds it very hard to concentrate on Carlos’s great-grandma when he feels his heart racing and Carlos’s hand burn on his back.

Carlos keeps introducing him simply as “Lando”, joking with his aunt in Spanish before quickly translating for Lando, he never once stops touching him and Lando has absolutely no idea what’s going on.

When they sit down for dinner, Carlos keeping one hand on his thigh, Lando is a complete mess and he tries his best to talk with Carlos’s two sisters, Ana and Blanca, who are sitting across from him. They’re nice and speak English with him but Lando is a bit distracted, Carlos always seeming to find an excuse to touch him.

He makes it through dinner without dying (Lando counts that as a success) and he takes a deep breath when he helps Reyes bring the dishes into the kitchen, her giving him a warm smile. It’s the first time Lando is without Carlos for more than five minutes but he likes her a lot and he hands her a few more plates for the dishwasher.

“Thank you, Lando, but you really don’t have to”, she says, running a hand through her long hair. She looks absolutely stunning in her long evening gown and Lando definitely knows where Carlos has his good looks from - this is one pretty family.

“No, it’s fine.” Lando smiles, his mother and Max would kick his ass if they knew he didn’t help with that and if Reyes is his future mother-in-law he needs to leave a good impression, right?

Not that Carlos and he- oh what does Lando know, this evening is weird and he hands Reyes the last plate before she shoos him back in the living room with a “I’m sure Carlos is already looking for you.”

Lando is not so sure about that.

He stands a bit lost between all those people, his gaze falling on the TV and a small smile spreads over his face.

Carlos had explained that every family in Spain watches the New Year’s Eve Party at Puerta del Sol on TV and at every chime of the clock at midnight they eat one of the grapes - Lando is still nervous about that.

He flinches when someone puts an arm around him but relaxes immediately when he realizes it’s Carlos, his familiar scent surrounding him and Lando smiles involuntarily.

“There you are, _cariño_.” Carlos gives him a warm smile and Lando blushes, he has no idea what ‘ _cariño_ ’ means but it sounds cute and he shrugs, running a hand through his hair. “Helped your mum in the kitchen. Why, did you miss me?”

Shit since when is he so bold?? Is he flirting with Carlos?? But- everything is a bit different tonight, with Carlos keeping touching him and Lando swallows dryly. It’s okay, he can always say it was a joke and-

“I always miss you when you’re not there.” Carlos winks at him but his smile is so soft that Lando feels like melting and he nods, not sure what to say to that. “Same”, he says lamely before immediately hating himself. What is wrong with him, why can’t he have one functioning conversation with Carlos, what-

But Carlos is still smiling, guiding him through the crowd again, lightly talking to him about football and some video game and Lando relaxes a little. 2 more hours until midnight.

Two minutes until midnight and Lando is a mess. Carlos and he spent the rest of the evening talking to his family, playing football with his cousins outside and eating even more food and now he has a small bowl of grapes in his hand and is incredibly nervous.

“Don’t choke”, Carlos suddenly mumbles into his ear, his hot breath brushing over his skin and Lando gets goosebumps. “Or 7 years of bad luck.” 

“Fuck you”, Lando mutters back, trying his best to calm his racing heart. Carlos just laughs quietly, gently bumping against him before standing straight again and Lando blinks, completely overwhelmed. What-

“ _DIEZ_!”, someone suddenly starts shouting and Lando might not speak Spanish but even he knows that it means 10. 10 seconds until midnight.

They count down and when he hears the first bell chime, he quickly throws the first grape into his mouth, chews, and swallows.

_‘I want that Carlos and I finally get our shit together.’_

One wish and grape down and he pops the second one into his mouth, ignoring all the other people around him who’re doing the same. Fuck, fuck, fuck, he needs a new wish, what-

_‘I want Max to be happy.’_

This is even more stressful than he thought it would be and when he’s done with his 12 grapes and didn’t choke, he feels a strange sense of accomplishment. When he looks around the room everyone looks pretty content too and then the fireworks start outside.

He looks to Carlos but before he can say something, Carlos pulls him closer - _a lot_ closer. They’re standing next to the open doors to the terrace, fireworks are exploding over them and Lando’s heart is racing, his palms getting sweaty.

Carlos just smiles at him before he cups his face in one hand (Lando’s knees nearly give out at that, what the _fuck_ ), his touch so soft that Lando is shivering.

Lando stares at him, unable to move, silently _begging_ Carlos to finally do something, to make the first step and then Carlos leans forward, pressing his lips against Lando’s, right when some golden fireworks explode over them.

Lando kisses him back immediately, pressing himself at Carlos, heart beating fast in his chest and everything in him is tingling like crazy. Carlos’s lips are warm and soft, tasting like champagne and love and just like _him_ and Lando buries on hand in Carlos’s hair.

It’s perfect and everything he ever wanted and Carlos wraps his arms around him, holding him close, pressing him against the door and Lando is so fucking turned on. He knows they’re still in public but he couldn’t care less - this is Carlos, who’s kissing him. _Carlos_. The love of his life (because really, Lando has never felt the way he felt for Carlos for anyone else in his life).

When Carlos pulls back after what feels like forever, Lando can’t help the small whine that escapes his lips, blushing immediately. He quickly takes a look around but no one really pays them any attention and Carlos just laughs, resting his forehead against Lando’s, a dopey smile on his face.

“ _Feliz año nuevo_ ”, he mumbles, thumb tracing over his cheek and Lando is pretty sure he’s going to faint any second. “Happy New Year”, he whispers, voice breaking at the end and Carlos wordlessly pulls him into another kiss.

Lando wants nothing more than this night to never end, to never stop kissing Carlos.

When they leave for upstairs later that night it goes without saying that Lando follows Carlos into his room, Carlos slowly and carefully taking him apart in his bed and Lando falls asleep in his arms afterward with a soft smile on his lips.

When Lando wakes up the next morning, Carlos sleeping peacefully next to him, Lando needs a moment to actually grasp what happened last night. Carlos kissed him. Carlos made the first step, pushed him against the wall and kissed him. Carlos fucked him.

Lando slowly sits up, careful to not disturb Carlos and he takes a deep breath, heart hammering in his chest. Last night was _good_ , better than everything he ever imagined and Lando swallows. Holy shit.

He’s so happy he feels like screaming, not being able to stop the smile forming on his face and god he needs to tell someone. His first instinct is Max but he kinda wants to surprise him and he sees him in a few days anyway.

He’s gonna tell Max in Tokyo, as a surprise that he finally got his shit together and he snaps a quick picture of Carlos before sending it to George.

Lando smiles at his phone before putting it away. The feeling of Carlos’s lips on his is still lingering, the feeling of his hands on him (and his dick in him, oh my _god_ , he _slept with Carlos_ ) still present and he carefully lets his fingers wander over Carlos’s cheek.

He’s so beautiful and Lando presses a soft kiss on his temple, not able to stop smiling. Carlos cracks one eye open, smiling sleepily at him when he sees him and pulls him closer.

“Good morning, _cariño_ ”, he mumbles, pulling him against his naked chest and Lando smiles, warmth spreading through him. 

“Hey”, he whispers and Carlos presses a soft kiss against his lips.

“Sorry, I got morning breath.” He grins sheepishly but to be honest, Lando couldn’t care less. He’s in Carlos’s arms, Carlos is _kissing_ him - what does he care about morning breath, seriously.

God bless the magical grapes.

Carlos shifts a little, pulling him closer and Lando sighs, content. He lets his gaze wander through the room and when he sees the red boxers laying on the floor, he bursts out laughing. “You were actually wearing red underwear?!”

“I-“ Carlos blushes, running a hand through his hair. “I couldn’t take any risks, no?” 

“I can’t, Carlos!” Lando is still laughing and Carlos pulls him closer, still blushing. “Shut up.”

“Make me.” Lando gives him a challenging look and Carlos’s eyes darken, being over him in one quick motion and Lando’s heart is beating in his throat.

They stare at each other for a moment until Carlos’s smirks. “Always, _cariño_.”

And when he leans down, kissing him hard and fucking him into the sheets not soon after that- Lando doubts that there is a better way to start the New Year than this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> can I just say I love those two idiots with my whole heart and if we don't see them race on sunday they at least get some happiness here (pls take care of yourselves because of corona yeah? 💛) 
> 
> (I also know that Carlos's cousin is also called Carlos but...we already have so many Carlos's here so David it is instead skskks) 
> 
> cariño = darling, honey, love, dear and so on
> 
> your support guys 💛💛💛 I love all of you


	4. Chapter 4

“Is annoying as fuck”, Carlos mumbles while falling down on his seat in the Business Class and Lando laughs. “What?” 

“That there’s no direct flight from Madrid to Tokyo.” Carlos crosses his arms in front of his chest and Lando grins, storing his backpack before falling on the seat next to him. “British Airway and London are okay.” 

“Still.” Carlos runs a hand through his hair, glaring at his boarding ticket before putting it back in his jacket. “I don’t get why we have to fly over London, it’s such a detour. If there’s a flight from London to Tokyo, why not from Madrid??”

Lando just grins, listening to Carlos’s rant and fastening his seatbelt.

“You’re done?”, he asks amused and Carlos huffs. “Maybe.” 

Lando just laughs, taking his hand and Carlos squeezes it slightly, smiling while they’re rolling on the runway. 

“What are you listening to?”, he asks, nodding at Lando’s phone and Lando grins, unlocking his iPhone.

“Of course”, Carlos mumbles but he’s still grinning and Lando raises his eyebrows. “She makes good music!” 

“I never said anything else.” Carlos grins, pressing a quick kiss on his lips and Lando can’t help but smile, melting under the touch.

Carlos- he’s truly something else and the last few days have been like a dream. They just _work_ , teasing each other, bantering like they always have except that it now ends with Carlos slamming him against the wall and kissing him and Lando really can’t complain.

And the sex- he can’t think about that during the flight or he’ll get turned on again but he knows now that he had been right with Carlos about his Top Energy and he takes a deep breath, leaning his head against the window.

He can’t wait to see Max again though and finally, finally tell him.

They don’t spend much time in Heathrow, switching planes and after getting dinner in the plane, Lando cuddles himself up, trying to catch some sleep while Carlos is watching some weird action movie from the 80s.

He wakes up around 3 am (at least that’s the time on the screen in front of him), incredibly tired and sleepy and when he looks to his right, Carlos is still watching some movies.

Carlos seems to have noticed that he’s awake, taking his hand and giving him a soft smile and Lando feels warm, the noise of the engine helping him drift off again, not once letting go of Carlos’s hand.

They are landing in Tokyo a few hours later and after going through passport control and collecting their suitcases, all Lando wants is to sleep. He hasn’t really thought about how they’d get from the airport to their hotel, praying that Carlos has a plan but when they leave Arrivals, they are greeted by Hulk and Lewis.

“Hey, what are you guys doing here?” Lando grins, stifling a yawn while hugging Lewis and Carlos greets Hulk.

“Thought we could pick you up, we arrived yesterday.” Lewis grins as well, looking like he doesn’t know what jetlag is and he slides his sunglasses back on while taking Lando’s suitcase. “Hulk and I met in Frankfurt and flew together from there.”

“And we can spend some time together.” Hulk shrugs, leading them outside to a rental car. “You’re good? How was your flight?”

They chat a bit, Lando relaxing slowly - he really likes those two and he knows Carlos does too, them all talking and chatting till they reach their hotel.

They spend the next day together, just exploring the city a bit already, going for food together and talking and Lando feels comfortable around them. Could it be that he didn’t just get Carlos as his boyfriend but also made two new friends? Good friends?

It would be nice.

“So what happened???” Max falls down on the bed, having a huge grin on his face and Lando blushes. “As I said, he kissed me. At midnight at New Year’s Eve.” 

“Fucking finally”, Max mumbles but he’s still grinning and Lando flips him off. “I- I was scared okay?” 

“Yeah, I know. That’s why I told Carlos to kiss you”, Max replies dryly and Lando stares at him. “You did what??” 

“He asked me if you’re in love with him.” Max shrugs. “And I said he should kiss you to find out.”

“Oh my god”, Lando mumbles, burying his face in his hands. “It makes all so much sense now.” 

“Told you he’s in love with you.” Max raises his eyebrows and Lando grins sheepishly. “…I might have been a bit oblivious?”

“A bit? _A bit_?! Mate, you’ve been blind and deaf for over two years!” Max stares at him incredulously and Lando waves dismissively. “Yeah, yeah. But fuck, Maxy, Carlos and I are actually together!” 

His eyes are shining, he’s still so incredibly happy and Max’s smile softens.

“I’m happy for you”, he says quietly, pulling him into a tight hug. “It was about time.” 

“Thank you.” Lando sniffs, he has no idea why his throat is so tight suddenly and he buries his face in Max’s chest.

He feels so relieved after those two years of not knowing, so free - Carlos _loves_ him and knowing he has a friend like Max, someone who cares so much about him even though they’re both in a relationship now- he’s a bit overwhelmed.

“You okay, Lando?” Dan’s voice makes Lando shake his head and not two seconds later he feels another pair of arms around him, hugging him. He knows it’s Dan, hears the quick kiss he and Max exchange and he can’t help but smile.

Dan is good for Max and everyone can see that. And Lando is so fucking happy for his best friend.

“So you and Carlos finally got your shit together, eh?” Lando can hear the grin in Dan’s voice and he looks up, nodding. “Yeah. And all thanks to Max.” 

He gently nudges his best friend with his elbow, grinning and Max laughs.

“Mate, when Carlos wrote me that night if you’re in love with him - I was close to losing it.” 

“He started ranting about what oblivious idiots you two are”, Dan adds, grinning and Lando hides his face in Max’s hoodie, blushing again. “Shut uuuup.”

“Never.” Max laughs, pulling him and Dan closer and Lando flips him off, grinning. He loves both of them a lot and knowing that Dan makes his best friend happy is enough for him.

“Fucking finally.” Carlos pushes Lando against the wall, kissing him hard and Lando’s moan goes straight to his dick. “That Game Show went on forever.”

“I know”, Lando manages to say, pulling him towards the bed and loses his shirt in the process. “And you looked so fucking good.” 

“Did I now?” Carlos’s voice is low, pushing Lando on the bed and crawling over him, supporting himself on his elbows.

Lando nods, his pupils are blown wide and his eyes completely dark. 

“Wanted you to fuck me the whole time”, he mumbles and Carlos moans involuntarily - this man is going to be the death of him.

“Well I can do that now, no?”, he mumbles, lips close to Lando’s throat and he can feel him shiver below him. 

“I don’t know, can you?” Lando has always been a little shit and Carlos pauses, lifting his head.

Lando has a shit-eating grin on his face and Carlos raises one eyebrow. “Getting cocky, now?” 

“Would rather want your cock”, Lando mumbles but he’s still grinning and Carlos stares at him, trying his best not to laugh. 

“You’re unbelievable”, he says after a moment and Lando winks at him. “I know.”

He thrusts his hips up, trying to get some friction and Carlos pins his wrists together over his head, looking at him. 

“I love you”, he says quietly and Lando immediately stops moving, a soft smile spreading over his face. “I love you too”, he says and Carlos kisses him, gentle at first before deepening the kiss.

Lando moans again, his hips moving and Carlos smirks, letting go of his wrists. They get undressed quickly and when Lando is laying in front of him, naked and vulnerable, Carlos has a hard time taking his eyes off him. He’s just so beautiful, so perfect and his hand trails over Lando’s body, giving his dick a quick squeeze in the process.

“Look at you”, he says with a husky voice, he’s so turned on and he counts himself so lucky. Lucky that he’s the only one who can see Lando like this, who can call Lando _‘his’_.

Lando doesn’t reply with a cocky comment this time, only closing his eyes while his breath hitches in his throat and Carlos kisses him again, hard.

“Turn around”, he then commands with a hoarse voice, Lando obeys immediately. Carlos found out pretty quickly how submissive Lando is (at least in bed), how needy and god, he loves it so much.

His hand ghosts over Lando’s ass, gently caressing it while fishing for the lube that’s standing on the bedside table. 

“My pretty boy, I’m so lucky”, Carlos mumbles while putting some lube on his finger. “I love you so much, do you know that?”

“I love you too.” Lando moans when Carlos pushes one finger inside him, his right hand gripping the sheet and Carlos adds a second one, slowly spreading him. “Carlos-“

Lando whines, pushing his hips up and Carlos laughs, holding him in place with his left hand while adding a third finger. He can’t take his eyes off him, he’s so fucking beautiful and Lando whimpers when he hits his prostate.

“Please, Carlos-” He moans again, looking at him with hazy eyes and Carlos smirks, still slowly fucking him with his fingers. 

“My good boy”, he mumbles and Lando whimpers. “ _Carlos_ -“

He whines again when Carlos removes his fingers, wiping them clean on Lando’s thigh before rolling a condom over his dick and putting some lube on it. 

“Ready?”, he asks with a low voice, positioning himself and Lando nods frantically. “Yes!”

Carlos slowly pushes into him, giving Lando time to get used to him and whispering words of encouragement while holding his hips in place. 

“You’re doing so good, just look at you”, he mumbles with a husky voice, forcing himself to pause and wait.

Lando has his eyes squeezed shut, breathing rapidly and Carlos can feel him slowly relax around him. My god he’s so fucking lucky and he wants nothing more than to move but he doesn’t want to hurt Lando - he wants to make this good for him. Perfect.

“You’re good?”, Carlos asks, his right hand cupping Lando’s face gently and Lando nods, giving him a small smile. “I am.” 

They look at each other for another moment, nothing but love in Lando’s eyes and Carlos takes a deep breath before he starts moving.

He doesn’t need long to make a moaning and whimpering mess out of Lando, him begging for more and Carlos grins, picking up his pace. 

“You’re so good for me, _cariño_ , my good boy”, he praises him and Lando chokes back a sob, spreading his legs even more.

“Carlos-“ His voice cracks and he instead reaches for Carlos’s hand, squeezing it hard. 

“I’m here, _mi amor_ , you’re doing so good”, Carlos whispers, slamming even harder into him, making Lando scream his name.

He tries to drag it out, to make this moment last and he gives Lando’s hand one more squeeze before reaching for his dick, playing with it. Lando whimpers, looking at him through heavy-lidded eyes, biting his lip and Carlos groans.

“Fuck, if you could see yourself-“ 

Lando is absolutely perfect and Carlos is so in love. He knows he won’t need much longer and when Lando comes with a strangled noise, Carlos’s hand still around his dick, jerking him off, the ring of muscles around Carlos’s dick tensing- it’s too much.

He comes with a hoarse “ _Puta madre_!” and needs a moment after that to catch his breath before he carefully pulls out. He disposes of the condom, Lando still breathing heavily and Carlos gets a towel from the bathroom to gently clean him up. 

“You’re okay?”, he asks quietly and Lando nods, a weak smile on his face. “That was fucking amazing.”

Carlos can’t help but smile, a proud feeling spreading through him and he pulls Lando into his arms. 

“I love you so much, _cariño_ ”, he murmurs and Lando’s smile could illuminate the whole room. “I love you too.”

Carlos kisses him, soft and gentle, so different to before and Lando yawns, pulling the blanket over them before cuddling up more. His head is laying on Carlos’s naked chest and Carlos presses a soft kiss on his hair.

He’s so fucking lucky.

Lando has never really been a fan of karaoke but it’s pretty hard to say ‘No’ to Dan and well- it’s going to be fun. At least he has Carlos with him.

“Alrighty, who wants to start?” Dan falls down between Max and Hulk, a big grin on his face and Lewis snorts, taking a sip from his cocktail. 

“I’m not drunk enough for this”, he says dryly and Lando nods. “Why don’t you two start?”

He gives Dan a sweet smile, taking a sip from his milk (which is apparently with vodka?! Tokyo is wild) and Max looks like he wants to murder him. Lando shifts a bit closer to Carlos - just as a precaution - grinning and Dan’s eyes light up.

“Maxy, what do you think?” He turns to Max and Max hesitates before sighing deeply. “Fine. Who chooses the song?” 

“I do.” Hulk has a shit-eating grin on his face and Max raises his eyebrows. “Okay.” 

He downs two shots of tequila (apparently deciding not to give any fucks) before looking at Dan, a small grin on his face. “You ready?”

The two leave for the stage, Hulk heading for the DJ and Carlos raises one eyebrow. “So? What do you think they’ll get?” 

“Maybe some country song, Dan- oh my god.” Lewis starts laughing when the piano at the begging of ABBA’s “Dancing Queen” starts and Lando can’t hold back his laughter anymore.

Max looks absolutely horrified, Dan actually singing the first chorus alone before gently nudging him with his elbow to he takes the other microphone.

_Friday night and the lights are low_

_Looking out for a place to go_

_Where they play the right music_

_Getting in the swing_

_You come to look for a king_

Lando can’t stop laughing when Dan winks at Max, pulling him closer and Max flips their table off before apparently really not caring anymore. Lando makes sure to film it (so he can blackmail Max into cleaning their flat again), leaning against Carlos. 

They aren’t even that bad and when the next chorus comes along, Max and Dan both yelling along (completely off-key but apparently really having the time of their lives), Lando is nearly crying from laughing so much.

_You are the dancing queen_

_Young and sweet, only seventeen_

_Dancing queen_

_Feel the beat from the tambourine, oh yeah_

_You can dance, you can jive_

_Having the time of your life_

“This”, Lando says, leaning against Carlos, grinning, “was the best idea Dan ever had.” Lewis agrees and Hulk, who’s filming it as well, laughs. “They’re just such adorable dorks.”

“How were we?” Dan and Max are back, Dan having a big grin on his face while Max looks a bit flushed and Lewis shrugs. “Not sure if it’s enough for the X-Factor but my ears aren’t bleeding.” 

“Cheers cunt.” Dan laughs, pulling Max next to him, slinging an arm around him. “Who’s next?”

“Those two.” Max grins, looking straight at Lando and Carlos and Lando pales. “No, absolutely not-“ 

“Yeah, why not.” Carlos shrugs, pulling Lando up and Lando stares at him, actually speechless. That traitor. “Carlos-“ 

“I’ll choose a song, don’t worry.” Max winks at him and Lando knows that this is payback.

He takes a deep breath, forcing himself to grin and shrug. “Okay.” 

How bad could it be?

He nearly loses his shit when Britney Spear’s “Hit Me, Baby, One More Time” starts, laughing so hard he’s crying and Carlos has to start alone.

“I was fucking born in the year that song came out!”, he yells at Carlos over the music before taking the mic and ignoring Max (who’s obviously filming him too. Asshole).

_My loneliness is killing me (and I)_

_I must confess I still believe (still believe)_

_When I’m not with you I lose my mind_

_Give me a sign_

_Hit me, baby, one more time_

“I’m not lonely anymore though”, he says to Carlos who just laughs, pulling him closer and hitting his arm. 

“What was that for?!” Lando stares at him and Carlos grins. “Doesn’t she sing ‘hit me, baby, one more time?”

“But not literally! You-“ 

Lando stops, this is such a mess and he can’t stop laughing.

_Oh baby, baby_

_The reason I breathe is you_

_Boy, you got me blinded_

_Oh, pretty baby_

_There’s nothing that I wouldn’t do_

Okay, he really _shouldn’t_ be turned on by this but Carlos looks directly at him while singing the lines and his eyes are so dark and- Lando takes a deep breath, focusing back on the lyrics and to somehow get over with this song. Oh, how he hates Max.

When they’re finally, finally done his pants are a bit too tight and Max’s knowing smirk tells him that he noticed it as well. He bumps into him when he falls down, glaring at Max while Carlos casually puts an arm around his shoulder.

“It’s just you two left, no?” Carlos grins at Hulk and Lewis, running a hand through his hair and Lewis shakes his head frantically. “Absolutely not, I-“ 

“We all had to”, Lando interrupts him, a grin forming on his face. “Come on.” 

“But I can’t sing and-“

“That didn’t stop Max from butchering ABBA either”, Dan interrupts him, quickly kissing Max when he sees his glare. “It’s true and you know it.” 

“I hate you”, Max replies dryly but there’s a grin on his face and Dan pulls him into a long kiss, Max visibly melting under his hands.

“Come on, mate.” Hulk grins, pulling Lewis up and putting an arm around his shoulder. “Can’t get worse than ABBA.” 

“Well, who chooses the song?” Lewis raises his eyebrows and Lando jumps up. “I do.” 

“Oh god”, Lewis mutters and Lando grins, heading for the DJ while Lewis and Hulk go on stage.

He had that song stuck in his head the whole evening already and as much as he’d love to give them an Ariana Grande song - she doesn’t deserve her songs to be butchered like this.

The absolute horror on Lewis’s (and Hulk’s) face, when “Best Song Ever” by One Direction starts, is worth everything and Lando grins, pulling his phone from his pocket. Hulk looks like he wants to kill him right here and then while Lewis, bless him, hesitantly starts singing.

_Maybe it’s the way she walked (wow)_

_Straight into my heart and stole it_

_Through the doors and past the guards (wow)_

_Just like she already owned it_

At least he has the British accent for it, Lando thinks amused, Dan not being able to stop laughing and Carlos shakes his head, grinning. “You’re a little shit, _cariño_.” 

“I know.” Lando laughs, quickly kissing Carlos before looking back at the stage.

Lewis still looks uncomfortable, hand gripping the mic and Lando nearly feels sorry for him - that is until they reach the chorus.

_And we danced all night to the best song ever_

_We knew every line, now I can’t remember_

_How it goes but I know that I won’t forget her_

_‘Cause we danced all night to the best song ever_

Lewis and especially Hulk apparently decided to not give a fuck anymore, shouting the chorus with a passion Lando didn’t think was possible and he stares at them with an open mouth. 

“Oh my god”, Dan says, watching incredulously how Lewis and Hulk go all in, giving them a show, living the song and Max laughs.

The whole bar is cheering when they’re done and Lewis and Hulk come back both grinning. Hulk downs his glass, looking not embarrassed at all and Dan shakes his head amused. “What a show, mate.”

“How did you like the song?” Lando gives them an angelic smile and Hulk raises his eyebrows. 

“A bit too heterosexual for my taste”, he replies dryly and Carlos chokes on his drink, coughing while Lando stares at him speechless before quickly patting Carlos’s back.

Lewis just laughs, looking way more relaxed than before and they order a new round of drinks. Most of the evening is a blur after that, they drink way too much, challenge each other to more ridiculous songs on stage and after midnight, all of them drunk, Dan ushers them on stage, insisting that they sing one song together.

“We should do “Like A Prayer” by Madonna!” Dan looks at them, visibly excited and Lando blinks. “Mate, I-“ 

“Don’t tell me you don’t know it! Lando!” Max looks actually shocked and Dan shakes his head, faking disappointment. “It’s a classic! A _gay_ classic!”

“When was the song released?”, Lando asks, a grin on his face - of course he knows the song. Not well but he has heard it before and Hulk frowns. “I think 1989.” 

“Mate- I was -10 there.” Lando snorts and Dan stares at him. “Oh my god, I can’t believe I’m 10 years older than you. You are a baby!”

“Fuck off. Max, you’re dating an old man.” Lando laughs, fleeing into Carlos’s arms when he sees Dan’s glare while Max looks unbothered. 

“He’s pretty good in bed for an old man though”, he says and Lewis chokes on his drink, laughing. Dan grins, pressing a kiss on Max’s cheek. “Thanks, babe.”

“So. Like A Prayer?”, Carlos asks, still holding Lando close and Hulk shrugs. “Sure.” 

They get the mics, Lando leaning against Carlos (he’s way too drunk) and staring at the small TV screen with the lyrics, he’s definitely going to need that.

_When you call my name_

_It’s like a little prayer_

_I’m down on my knees_

_I want to take you there_

_In the midnight hour_

_I can feel your power_

_Just like a prayer_

_You know I’ll take you there_

Carlos’s hand wanders to his ass, squeezing it quickly and Lando blushes, nearly missing the next line and he hears Carlos laugh next to him.

Lando snorts, trying to glare at him but failing miserably and when Carlos pulls him into a long kiss at the end of the song, he can’t believe he got this lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame the entertainment programme from Qatar Airways and my sleep-deprived ass for those song choices sksksks 
> 
> aaaaand we already reached the end! I really enjoyed exploring a bit more of Lando's and Carlos's relationship and I hope you did as well 💛 
> 
> again, thank you all so much for your amazing support and love for this little universe I created, I'm still speechless 💛💛
> 
> ALSO a lovely anon on tumblr asked me if I could write a sequel for Kevin & Nico and given the fact that I have no self-control (we established that already) I'm currently working on a Two-Shot for those two idiots. it's also set in this universe and I guess I'll post it either this weekend or next week, depending how well writing goes 💛

**Author's Note:**

> you can follow me on tumblr @ [verstappened](https://verstappened.tumblr.com/) 💛
> 
> Kudos and comments are very appreciated thanksss 💛


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